Author Wendy Lehnert assumes that her readers know next to nothing about the Internet, and proceeds to educate them largely through the "naming-of-parts" approach. This book teems with lists of terms and other textbook features, like questions and exercises at the end of each chapter. Some of the questions that are associated with the online exercises seem kind of silly ("What did you have to do to view your postcard?"), but should serve to push reluctant surfers online. Lehnert takes care to allay readers' fears about scams, viruses, and security--she explains what the hazards are and how they're best avoided. She also likes to treat the Internet as a community to be joined, instead of as a technology to be coped with. In a typical section, she explains how to shop for software by consulting expert reviews on information sites, as well as visiting software shops. --David Wall